Pieces of Paris…

Vintage Gallery – Americana in Paris

Jukeboxes, slot machines, gum ball machines, gasoline pumps, Limoge porcelain statuetes of the Statue of Liberty made for the bicentennial of the USA in 1976, traffic lights, telephones, Coca Cola machines… these are just a few of the tings you’ll find at Vintage Gallery.

Patrick Guérin has a fantastic place on the boulevard Pereire in the 17th. An incredible collection filling every square meter of his gallery. I have been wanting to visit it for some time, but as I walk by it normally on my way home after opening hours, I usually satisfy myself with a little « lèche vitrine« . This time I happened by in the afternoon. Patrick is celebrating his 20th year there this year. Pretty fantastic for privately owned gallery in the 17th. But even better : he has decades more than that in Americana, artifacts, vintage objects and amazing things to decorate your life with. Vintage Gallery : Number 17 bld Pereire 75017 Paris. Tel : +33 (0)6.09.17.52.50. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 3pm-7pm or upon appointment.Patrick was super friendly and happy to let me snap pictures and pester him with questions. I asked him how he started out, and he told me about his trip to the USA when he was 18. (I know what that’s like. I did a couple cross country stints on a Greyhound bus when I was about that same age). He had a Greyhound bus pass, and traveled around for 50 days, from San Fransisco to Las Vegas, through Route 66 and the South, to Florida and DC, up to New York and then onto Canada… He has brought back a few things from this trip, to France, an old radio and other small things he could carry in his small luggage. His friends were all in awe of his « finds ». So he decided to return at the age of 21 with the giant trunks, headed to the New York flea markets and filled them up. And thus his Americana dealing days began.

He returns to the USa from one to three times a year. The vintage trade shows are his main reason. And his gallery is packed full amazing things. Everywhere I turned I let out another « oh cool! » or « wow look at that! » I wish I had a game room to put all sorts of fun things from his gallery in. It’s ALL for sale. He often rents things too, for parties or cinema sets. Everything is in impeccable condition. Somethings he isn’t sure if they work, like the 1950’s pivoting television, but it all looks perfect on the exterior.

The traffic lights come from New York. And even the pay phone can work, but it must be hooked up to a France Telecom land line, not an internet/phone box. I’d live to have it as the intercom to allow people to access the building. It may be a little too much for that, but wouldn’t that be cool!?!
There is a basement as well full of plenty of more things that I didn’t take the time to browse as I was on my way home carrying 2.5 liters of paint. But if you have the time, or can’t make the trip to the USA this year and are around the Batignolles quarter, skip over the tracks by Pont Cardinet and check out this awesome collection of Americana, smack in the middle of the City if Lights, find something to make you feel smack in the middle of America.